To Make a Long Story Short
5
Path of the Wild Boar
A Storyteller Tale
©2021 Elder Road Books
Written in 2013
No previous publication
THIS ONE WAS BORN to the Clan of the Wild Boar. He was raised and nurtured in the clan and grew strong. He hunted and helped provide for the clan.
“This is home,” he said. “Here this one will stay and grow old.”
But the spirit of wind came to this one and said, “Go.”
“Where shall this one go?” he asked, but the wind spirit only blew toward the trail and would not tell him a destination. So, this one set foot upon the trail called Hardship.
It was a rocky and narrow trail, steep in its climb, yet never reaching a summit. Ice and snow and wind drove him on. The burdens were heavy and this one carried them until it seemed he could go no farther. As this one stumbled to his knees, the path turned and this one found himself among the people of the clouds. Here he was welcomed. He was given food and his bleeding feet were soothed.
“Surely, this is where the spirit of wind wanted this one to dwell. Here shall be home and this one will stay and grow old.”
But when his wounds were healed, and he filled his lungs with air, and he became strong again, the spirit of fire pursued him and roared “Go!”
“Where shall this one go?” he asked, but the spirit of fire roared and this one fled before it to the trail called Passion.
This one burned with passion and lust. His mouth thirsted ever, his lips parched and his fever blistering. This one was consumed by the fire burning within him and when he was no more than a burning ember, the trail turned and he found himself among the people of the sun. Here he was given food and shelter, his fires were banked and his thirst quenched.
“Surely, this is where the spirit of fire wanted this one to dwell. Here shall be home and this one will stay and grow old.”
But when his passions cooled and no longer overwhelmed him with white hot heat, the spirit of the waters flooded upon him saying “Go!”
“Where shall this one go?” he asked. But the flood swept him onward and this one found himself on the path called Knowledge.
This was a winding trail sometimes meeting itself and crossing the same steps from a different direction. New discoveries lay around every corner. Each truth unlocked revealed more questions that spiraled out of sight. With each step along the path of knowledge, this one was shown to be more ignorant. And as he stumbled beneath the weight of knowing, he came upon the people of the Sea.
Here his knowledge was given meaning and his mind was set at ease.
“Surely this is where the spirit of water wanted this one to dwell,” he said. “Here shall be home and this one will stay and grow old.”
But when his mind was at ease, the spirit of earth shook within him and said, “Go!”
“Where shall this one go?” he asked. But the earth moved and beneath his feet he found the path called Love.
The path of Love was ever-changing. It had steep grades of hardship, fiery slopes of passion, deep wells of knowledge. At one edge of the path was peace and at the other war. In some places, the path was so broad as to be a meadow in which this one wandered not knowing which way the path continued. In some places the path was so narrow that this one walked on the edge of a knife with a yawning abyss of terror on either side. As he felt along the path, never knowing what came next, he came upon the people of the Mountain.
Here, love was tempered with responsibility. Passion was cooled with nurture. Knowledge was supplanted by wisdom.
“Surely this is where the spirit of earth wanted this one to dwell,” he said. “Here shall be home and this one will stay and grow old.”
But when love had grown familiar and worn as an old pair of shoes, this one felt the spirits of wind, fire, water, and earth move deep within his heart and say, “Go!”
This one no longer asked “Where?” but set his foot upon the path with no name that opened before him. He crossed mountains and valleys, deserts and rivers. This one placed one foot before the other and went.
“It was not meant that this one should dwell in the clouds, in the sun, in the sea, or on the mountain,” he said at last. “This one will journey and grow old and the path shall be home.”
And the spirit of wind, stirred the air he breathed. The spirit of fire warmed his heart. The spirit of water quenched his thirst. The spirit of earth embraced his arms and this one knew peace.
Comments
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